Rain on Macy's Parade

As evidenced by its idyllic portrayal in Miracle on 34th Street, Macy's always represented more than a mere department store. Millions enjoyed roaming its aisles each year, and thousands--including lawyer William Kunstler and actor Burgess Meredith--considered themselves lucky to work there. But it wasn't immune from the corporate upheaval that marked the 1980s, and Jeffrey Trachtenberg's The Rain on Macy's Parade: How Greed, Ambition, and Folly Ruined America's Greatest Store describes its downfall with style and insight.